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Maritime Editors’ Appreciation Dinner: Night of tributes for Sambo, Adegoroye as they bow out in blaze of honour

The eyewitness reporterThe skylight of the beautiful Eko Hotels was abuzz with excitement. Its cozy ambiance was saturated with glitz and glamour.

From one of its halls came a bellow of tributes which oozed through the giant doors of the hall and blended with the serene environment of the prestigious hotel.

It was a night of tributes for Alhaji Muazu Jaji Sambo, the immediate past  Minister of Transportation, and the Minister of State, Barrister  Ademola Adewole Adegoroye.

It was a night the League of Maritime Editors decided to appreciate the short but impactful tenure of these gentlemen at the helms of affairs of the ministry.

It was a night the maritime stakeholders and Heads of the government agencies in the industry decided to say thank you to the men whose short but eventful tenure triggered a positive development in the industry.

So, on June 9th, 2023, the League of Maritime Editors organised what it called an appreciation dinner in honour of the immediate past ministers in the transportation ministry and feted them for a job well done.

It was an event that attracted the cream of the maritime industry, top government officials and members of the National Assembly.The roll call of the guests was impressive.

Boss Mustapha, the immediate past Secretary to the  Government of Federation (SGF) was represented. Mrs. Linda Ikpeazu, the immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Marine Transport graced the occasion.

Also in attendance was a full complement of the Heads of government agencies in the industry which includes Dr Bashir Jamoh, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Emmanuel Jime, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Fidet  Okhiria, the Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mrs. Chinyere Uromta, the Acting Registrar of the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN).
The event also attracted Messr Callistus Obi and Ferdinand Agu, both former NIMASA DGs.
Engineer Greg Ogbeifun led the Shipping community.

The two former Ministers, whom the night of honour was meant for, sat in their full regalia, soaking all the encomiums and eulogies showered on them.
Mrs Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation also shared in the limelight.Chief Timothy Okorocha, the host President of the League of Maritime Editors, opened his welcome address on a sober note when he asked the august gathering to observe one-minute silence to give the last respect to two members of the maritime media confraternity, Messrs Ray Ugochukwu and Emma Adegbe, who departed to higher glory.

Thereafter, the night’s activities picked up and escalated to a high-pitched crescendo when speaker after speaker spoke glowingly of the two Ministers.
Earlier, Chief Okorocha told his audience that the maritime media decided to honour Sambo and Adegoroye for their impactful and effective leadership in the Ministry of Transportation which triggered a chain of positive achievements within so short a time in the maritime sector.
Okorocha ran through the list of achievements made under the short stint of the two men as Ministers, which Sambo fondly referred to as low-hanging fruits.
These include but not limited to the resolution of the nutty issue of the disbursement of the controversial Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds(CRFFN), the resuscitation of the jinxed Cargo Tracking Note(CTN) and other projects executed and commissioned during Sambo’s 10 -month stint as a Minister.

Okorocha said the event was meant to honour the hard work, commitment and dedication of the two former Ministers and to encourage other public officials.

He noted that in as much as journalists are critical of government officials and always ensure they are held accountable, he said journalists are also sensitive to the efficient and impactful leadership of such public servants and would not hesitate to honor such individuals.

Thereafter, in a blaze of commendations, encomiums and eulogies, the chief executive officers of the government agencies took turns to narrate their working experiences with the Ministers.Emmanuel Jime said that, initially, he and his colleagues at the Shippers’Council were skeptical about the coming of Sambo as the Minister as they feared he may be biased in his dealings with the council, given his working background at NPA and NIWA, but he revealed that the reverse was the case as the Council benefitted more from the short stint of the former Minister.

“As a matter of fact, the Shippers’ Council benefitted more from the minister as he supported us and gave us listening ears”

Jime attributed the resuscitation of the jinxed Cargo Tracking Note(CTN) to the commitment and doggedness of the Minister whom he said helped the Council to fight off the proverbial inter-agency rivalry that threatened to kill the project.

“For this, we confer on the minister the “Saurdana of Shippers’Council”  Jime said, a statement which drew friendly jabs and flaks from the Minister and Dr. Jamoh.

Both the NPA MD, NIMASA DG and NRC MD spoke in a similar appreciatory manner, each giving his personal and working relationship with Sambo whom they all chorused has listening ears and other attributes of a leader and father to whom they all had unhindered access.

“He takes me like his brother and advised me on a number of things. But when he is angry, you wouldn’t want to come across him.

“But his anger goes as quickly as it comes,” said Bello-Koko.
“Through his leadership, close supervision and guidance, NIMASA has been able to commission lots of projects which include our permanent zonal offices in Abuja, and Port Harcourt and yet-to-be commissioned Lokoja office” disclosed Jamoh.All the heads of the agencies were unanimous in their conviction that the leadership of Sambo inspired them to gain ascendency in their various areas of mandates.

“He inspired us to work harder and better”  the NRC MD disclosed.

Mrs. Uromta, the CRFFN acting Registrar said the two former ministers have inspiring personalities and admired them from a distance.But she lamented that at a time when she had the opportunity to get close to and interact with them at close quarters as the head of CRFFN, that was when their tenure expired.

She then wished, just like other heads of the agencies, that Sambo will stage a comeback to the industry as the Minister in the current dispensation.

All through this blaze of glory and honour, Sambo and Adegoroye, sat with glowing and animated faces, smiling as the torrent of encomiums and eulogies cascaded from the podium and submerged the entire guests who watched and listened with admiration as each of the agency heads tried to outdo one another in their attempt to paint the former ministers in glowing tributes.
After soaking in enough eulogies, Sambo mounted the podium and momentarily became speechless as he tried to find the right words to express his appreciation.
He said he was surprised at the amount of goodwill and quantum of eulogies he received from the appreciative industry stakeholders.
He particularly thanked the organisers of the event, the League of Maritime Editors for the honour.

Turning to them with a wide grin on his face, Sambo intoned” You guys shocked me with this reception and show of love. It is not as if I give you money but because of your love for me that made you do this, thank you very much”
Sambo expressed his deep appreciation to former President Mohammed Buhari who he said gave him the opportunity to serve.
“It was a thing of joy that barely three years after I retired from the civil service, I was called upon to come and serve my father’s land in such a high capacity as a Minister.
“It was a rare honour and privilege for me.” Sambo declared in an emotion-laden voice.
He recalled his civil service career at the NPA as a Civil Engineer and at NIWA as Area Manager and declared that he had a good working relationship with his colleagues.
He admonished his audience to forge a good relationship with people as this is an attribute that has helped his career as a civil servant and politician.
Sambo also reminisced on his political journey which culminated in his appointment as a Minister, first as a Minister of State, Works and Housing and Minister of Transportation.
“It was a rare privilege and I served as a Minister for one and half years and am going to retire a fulfilled man.
” The icing on the cake is the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger(CON)conferred on me by former President Buhari to whom I will remain eternally grateful”
He said that the former President gave all the Ministers a free hand to perform their duties, a development which he said helped him a lot to record the quantum of achievements in the maritime industry within so short a time.
The night was capped with mixed genres of entertainment of cultural dance, poetic rendition, stand-up comedy and light music to which the two ministers and the Permanent Secretary displayed different dexterity of their dancing skills.
What a fulfilling way to cap a glorious civil service and political career.
It was a night of glitz and glamour which Sambo and Adegoroye will forever cherish and remember for a very long time.
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Headlines

May Day: Mobereola salutes maritime workers for passion, dedication to building virile industry 

Gloria Odion,  Maritime reporter 

The Director – General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has saluted the courage , passion and dedication of maritime workers to building strong and virile industry.
In his message at the Workers’ day on May 1st, 2026, the NIMASA DG extolled the virtues of workers and acknowledged the distinguished service of various stakeholders whose efforts he noted continue to significantly contribute to the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
Dr. Mobereola, while wishing stakeholders a Happy Workers’ Day said “to all the amazing officers and stakeholders in the maritime sector who bring their passion and expertise to work daily.

“Thank you for your dedication and invaluable contributions”.

He emphasized that as a regulator, the Agency remains committed to its oversight function of regulating maritime labour activities in the industry in line with extant instruments and the expectations of the theme of the 2026 Workers’ Day, which focuses on safety, dignity and productivity.

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Customs

Kaila, Seme Customs CAC, seeks collaboration with stakeholders to achieve seemless trade along border corridor 

Funso OLOJO, Editor
The new Area Controller of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, has  reached out to traditional rulers and  sister agencies at the border communities to ensure the achievement of his mandate of detection, determent of smuggling, revenue generation and trade facilitation along the border corridor.
To achieve these objectives, Comptroller Kaila went on tour of the communities within the border corridor where he met and sought for the support and cooperation of major critical stakeholders, including the traditional rulers and sister agencies.
According to him, his objective was to eradicate trade hindrances affecting free movement of goods and services along the Lagos-Abidjan business corridor.
Speaking at the Palace of Oba Akran of Badagry Kingdom, the Customs Area Controller condoled with the royal family and entire people of Badagry kingdom on the passing away of HRM De Wheno Aholu Menu Toyi I who was a well recognized traditional ruler across the border communities.
“”The purpose of my visit is to introduce myself as the Area Controller of Seme Command and to equally seek your royal blessing and support to achieve the core mandate of the service.
“Our priority remains to generate revenue, facilitate trade, and suppress smuggling.
“And we in the Customs believe that without due support and co-operation from traditional rulers, we can not have effective performance of our functions as Customs officers” he said
 The King Regent, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, who described Kaila as the son of the soil, added that “We have listened to your request.
” Know that Badagry is a very peaceful town, and we will keep collaborating with you in safeguarding our borders and in promoting legitimate trade, ” he stated.
Comptroller Kaila also visited the Onibereko of Ibereko Awori-Kingdom, where the monarch, Oba Israel Okoya, signifies his commitment to fostering the service relationship with residents living within the border  communities
“I welcome you to Badagry and be rest assured that I will always talk to my people whenever the need is required.
” In our town, our youth does not engage in illegalities as I have no other choice than to assist you in achieving the government mandate, ” he mentioned
While at the Palace of Alapa of Apa Kingdom, the king HRM Oba Oyekan Ajose Ilufemiloye commended and described the CAC, Comptroller Kaila as a professional, seasoned and well respected officer as described by indigenes of border communities.
“I promise you that I will always assist you in my area for anything that you need.
“Our border here has been peaceful because our youth always listen to the elders, and I know with your presence here, things will change for the better, ” he said
In his efforts to consolidate on existing synergy between sister security agencies, Kaila also visited Headquarters of 653 Nigerian Air force base, Ahanve-Badagry.
The  Commanding Officer, Group Captain Hungruy  Medugu,expressed the  readiness of the formation to always support the command in achieving its mandate.
“Our collaboration has been key to various successes we have recorded in our area of responsibility.
” Your presence here strengthens existing bonds of inter-agency collaboration between both Services, and we will not take it for granted ,” he said
The Area Controller then ended his familirisation tour with seeking for mutual cooperation with a visit to the Republic of Benin Police office, showing his readiness to eradicate hindrances affecting the free movement of goods and services across the border.
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Headlines

Opeifa decries encroachment on NRC properties across the country 

— praises collaboration with Abia, Enugu govts.
Funso OLOJO, Editor 
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has reiterated his displeasure over the widespread practice of encroachment on the properties of the Nigerian Railways Corporation across the country, warning that such action would not be tolerated by his administration.
Opeifa was speaking during the separate meetings he recently had with the governments of both Abia and Enugu states.
Represented by the Railway District Manager, Eastern District, Mr. Agwonye Francis Ejike, the NRC boss quickly condemned the occupation of the Corporation’s right- of – way by squatters in Umuahia, while correcting the wrongly- held belief that the Railway is defunct.
Opeifa however applauded the cordial and collaborative relationship between the Corporation and the governments of both Abia and Enugu.
According to him, such productive harmony can only yield even greater positive results for the benefit of the people.
During the Umuahia meeting, Dr. Opeifa strongly praised the Abia State Government for its crucial assistance in clearing the NRC’s right-of-way within Umuahia.
 He reiterated unequivocally that no one is permitted to build any structure on railway property without obtaining express approval from his office.
Appealing directly to the public, he urged for greater patience, stressing that the plans for the critical track extension from Aba, through Umuahia to Enugu and beyond, remain very much on course.
Responding on behalf of the Abia State Government, Mr. Kingsley Agomoh stated that the State Government is actively engaging all stakeholders by providing alternative, seamless locations for those currently conducting business on the railway right-of-way.
 He further revealed that the state government has already finalized plans to plant trees along the route, creating a leisurely and aesthetically conducive environment for relaxation, replacing previous commercial activities.
The high-powered team then embarked on an extensive inspection of the alternative relocation site for displaced persons; the demolition site where iron barrier installation is progressing; the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal; the site for the new Umuahia Railway Station; and the route for the proposed link road passing through the existing railway station.
The meeting also explored the provision of a temporary location for the Railway Police and the PTO, pending the construction of the new Umuahia Station, which is designed to include a police station and other NRC offices.
The same impactful message was delivered to Enugu State, where the Commissioner of Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozoh (representing the State Government), equally assured the NRC MD of the Enugu State Government’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with the Corporation to achieve its aims and objectives.
Describing Dr. Opeifa as a personal friend from their private sector days, Dr. Ozoh lauded him as a leader who “knows perfectly well what he is doing.”
He further assured the NRC that the Enugu State Government will actively assist in demolishing any obstruction on the Corporation’s right-of-way, stressing that the state eagerly awaits the flag-off to recommence construction of the rail line from Aba to Enugu and beyond.
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